SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus

ringtail

noun
Save Word
ring·​tail | \ ˈriŋ-ˌtāl How to pronounce ringtail (audio) \

Definition of ringtail

1 : raccoon
2 : a carnivore (Bassariscus astutus) of the western U.S. and Mexico that is related to and resembles the raccoon

— called also cacomistle, civet cat, ringtail cat, ringtailed cat

3 : capuchin sense 3

Examples of ringtail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web During the safari, travelers can enjoy giraffes, rhinos, zebras, ringtail lemurs and more. — David K. Li, NBC News, 12 May 2022 During the safari, travelers can enjoy giraffes, rhinos, zebras, ringtail lemurs and more. — David K. Li, NBC News, 12 May 2022 During the safari, travelers can enjoy giraffes, rhinos, zebras, ringtail lemurs and more. — David K. Li, NBC News, 12 May 2022 During the safari, travelers can enjoy giraffes, rhinos, zebras, ringtail lemurs and more. — David K. Li, NBC News, 12 May 2022 Climate change also may have helped kill off the golden toad of Costa Rica’s cloud forests, which was last seen 33 years ago, and the wild population of Australia’s white ringtail possum, which perished in a series of heat waves. — Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2022 Now, the ringtail sits alongside several other new additions: the Rock squirrel, fox squirrel, rat, raccoon, armadillo, bobcat, gray fox and axis deer. — Megan Rodriguez, San Antonio Express-News, 18 Nov. 2021 The catlike nocturnal mammal, often called a ringtail cat, is part of the raccoon family. — Megan Rodriguez, San Antonio Express-News, 18 Nov. 2021 During the safari, travelers can enjoy giraffes, rhinos, zebras, ringtail lemurs and more. — Lea Lane, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ringtail.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of ringtail

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Learn More About ringtail

Time Traveler for ringtail

Time Traveler

The first known use of ringtail was in 1844

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near ringtail

ring system

ringtail

ring-tailed

See More Nearby Entries 

Statistics for ringtail

Last Updated

23 Jun 2022

Cite this Entry

“Ringtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ringtail. Accessed 29 Jun. 2022.

Style: MLA
MLACheck Mark Icon ChicagoCheck Mark Icon APACheck Mark Icon Merriam-WebsterCheck Mark Icon

More from Merriam-Webster on ringtail

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ringtail

WORD OF THE DAY

duress

Listen to the pronunciation of duress

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Name That Food

  • a-light
  • Name these cookies!
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games